Violin, viola, and violoncello peg



i. BYRUM.

VIOL IN, VIOLA, AND VIOLONCELLO PEG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21,1920.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

munnnnun PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BYBOM, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

VIOLIN, VIOLA, AND VIOLONCELLO PEG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed February 21, 1920. Serial No. 360,270.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BYRUM, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain,and a resident of Liverpool, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Violin, Viola, and Violoncello Pegs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to violin, viola, and Violoncello tuning pegs ofthe kind having a tapered portion fitting within the tapered bore of abushing fixed within the peg hole of the peg box. Where. means have beenpreviously provided for adjusting the tight ness of such peg in thebushing, there has been a tendency to impose stress upon the walls ofthe peg box owing to the fact that the pressure due to the adjustment istransmitted to the sideof the'peg box remote from the peghead. The chiefobject of this invention is to eliminate such side stress.

According to this invention, the tuning peg is so constructed andarranged that the pressure arising from tightening the peg in thebushing is entirely taken up between the bushing and the peg itself sothat all side stress is removed from the head of the instrument. Forthis purpose, the bush ing may be tapered internally so that its boredecreases in diameter toward the peghead end thereof and the pegheadwhich.

can be caused to slide on the peg but cannot turn relatively thereto maybe pressed against the outer end of the bushing by means of a milled nutor other analogous element screwed upon the end of the peg. By thismeans, the tightness of the peg in the bushing may be adjusted. Thepeghead may be detachable and has a slotted end engaging a cross pin ortommy carried in the peg. In order to obtain metal-to-fiber frictionalcontact surfaces between the peg and the bushing, the latter may be offiber or of metal lined with fiber and the peg giay be made of metal ormetal covered with her.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1. is an elevation of a violin head showing the peg box and onepeg fitted in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2. is a side view ofFig. 1. Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section through a peg showing thebushing and peg box wall, and detachable peg view of the peg slotting,and Fig.

head. Fig. 4. is an end. head showing the internal 5. is a detailed viewof the peg itself, showing the tapered portion and the cross pin ortommy by means of which the peg is turned.

In carrying out the invention, a bushing 11 is fitted by gluing orotherwise into the side wall 2 of the peg box3, of the instru ment. Thisbushing is of fiber though if desired it may be made of metal, eitherentirely or with a fiber lining, and is preferably slightly tapered onits exterior as shown. The interior of the bushing 1 is also tapered,the bore diminishing in diameter from the inner end at the peg box tothe outer end. This tapered bore forms a bearing for a correspondinglytapered part 1 of. the peg'proper a which is of metal and rotates withinthe bushing 11. The part of the peg 1- which enters the peg box 3 may bemade cylindrical, as shown, or tapered, and is drilled with the usualhole 5 for the string. The further end 6 of the peg is reduced where itturns in the bore of a plug 7 fitted into the small peg hole in theopposite wall of the peg box. The smaller end of the tapered part l ofthe peg terminates in a screwed stem l over which fits the head 8 of thepeg, and is retained in position by a milled nut 9, terminal screw orother analogous element. The peg head 8 is bored at 8 to pass over thescrewed stem 48 of the peg, and shaped at 8 to fit the smaller end ofthe tapered part 49 and is also internally slotted at 10, such slotengaging a tommy or cross pin 11 which passes transversely through anaperture in the peg so that as the peg head 8 is turned the peg 4:rotates in the bushing 1. It will be seen that by adjusting the millednut 9 or the like, the tightness of the fit of the tapered part 49* inthe bushing 1 may be regulated as desired, the frictional resistance toturning of the peg in the bushing being determined by the wedgingpressure of the tapered part 43 in the bushing, and by the pressure ofthe peg head 8 where it abuts against the end of the bushing 1.

The bushing 1 is preferably made of vulcanized fiber, but it may beentirely of metal or of metal with a fiber or vulcanized lining, asfound convenient, or, the bushing may be of metal and the peg of metalwith a lining or bushing of fiber or vulcanite, if desired. The bushing1 being glued into the larger hole of the peg box forms in appearancethe equivalent of the usual shank of the ordinary type of peg, thusmaintaining the usual appearance of the pegs.

If desired, the tommy or cross pin 11 may take the form of a flat piecepassed through a slot in the peg, or in place or" such a cross pin theend of the tapered part 4 may be fiatted or otherwise formed to enablethe peg head 8 effectively to turn the peg.

/Vith such an arrangement the frictional resistance of the peg toturning in the bushing may begraduated to any nicety and to suit theparticular requirement of the player, while, owing to the taperedconfiguration of the peg in the bushing and the great length of thebearing, the retention of the peg against backward turning is quitemarked, thus enabling the peg to be used for tuning with the instrumentin a playing position.

While the bushing has been described as of fiber it may be made of othersuitable material such as rubber, papier mach, metal, or even wood.

Where means have been previously provided for adjusting the tightness ofa peg in the peg box, such means have resulted in a strain being set upin the walls of the peg box owing to the fact that the whole peg waspulled by the adjustment transversely into the peg box. Such a sidestrain on the violin head is absolutely eliminated by this invention thepressure arising from the adjustment being self contained as between thepeg and the bushing, thus entirely removing all strain trom the head ofthe instrument.

I claim- In a stringed musical instrument includ ing a peg box, a tuningpeg therefor comprising a bushing fixed in the peg box, said bushinghaving a bore therein tapering toward the peg head end thereof, a pegfitting into said bushing and tapered to correspond to the tapered borethereof, a head movable longitudinally and non-rotatably on said pe saidhead being in constant engagement with said bushing and means forcausing pressure of the head against the bushing, to thereby causefrictional engagement between the peg and bushing throughout their fulllength.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signas ture in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN BYROM.

lVitnesses:

E. HEeINBoTrLmi, A. J. (DAVIES.

